Raise Sustainability Awareness
This webinar from Cascadia Innovation Corridor is an opportunity to learn more about Covid-19’s impact on supply chain’s for local producers, buyers, emergency food systems and how the growing agri-tech industry is expanding opportunities available for local farmers. Copy and paste this into your browser to access the registration page: https://bit.ly/FORUMREGISTRATION.
Audobon Washington will be holding a free webinar on November 16th on the sagebrush steppe habitat of the western United States often referred to as the “sagebrush sea”. This is a vast open landscape filled with native grasses and plants like sagebrush. In Washington State, 10.5 million acres of the Columbia Plateau ecoregion used to be like this but now only about half of that historic landscape is left. This webinar is an opportunity to learn more about this incredible ecosystem and how to preserve it. To sign up for the webinar register with this link: https://act.audubon.org/a/sagelands-webinar?
A rain barrel is a container used to catch rainwater(often from rooftop runoff via pipes), which can be used for watering plants and other outdoor uses. It’s a great way to conserve water while saving money on water bills! Visit the included link to preorder a rain barrel(for $55 plus tax) from the Snohomish Conservation District. They will be available to pick up on November 14th from 10am to 12pm at the Lake Stevens City Hall. Please wear a mask! https://snohomishcd.org/events-workshops/2020/11/14/rain-barrel-sale-in-lake-stevens
Snohomish Conservation District’s Habitat and Floodplains team will also be holding a webinar on November 14th from 3:30-5:00pm about waterways such as rivers, streams, and creeks and the do’s and don’ts of living next to one. This will be very informative for those who live next to a waterway; particularly those who live in the Stillaguamish Watershed. Topics that will be covered in this webinar include water quality, local wildlife, river processes, waterway regulations, and resources like free site visits and financial assistance programs. Visit this link to sign up: https://snohomishcd.org/events-workshops/2020/11/14/streamside-landowner-webinar-stillaguamish-watershed. This webinar will also be posted on their Youtube channel at a later date.
Chinook Farms shares acreage with several partner farms, and ten acres of this area belong to the Food Bank Farm. This farm is run by the Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross in Redmond and they grow a wide variety of foods such as beets, carrots, squash, potatoes, corn, and green beans which are all sent to local food banks. With the help of many volunteers and groups like Food Lifeline(https://foodlifeline.org/), the Food Bank Farm is making a big difference for food banks and families in need. Visit this link to sign up and attend upcoming beet harvests https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0b4ba8a92cabfe3-food. Visit the Food Bank Farm Facebook page for up to date information: https://www.facebook.com/VeggiesforFoodBanks
Skagit Valley is famous for its beautiful tulip fields and lovely produce. The Skagit Valley Food Cooperative helps local farmers and vendors in the area by selling organic local produce, cheese, grain, seeds, baked goods, meat, seafood, and more from places like Samish Bay Cheese, Sunseed Farm, Bow Hill Blueberries, and many more. They have a very large variety of produce such as lettuce, potatoes, apples, burdock root, nettle, heirloom tomatoes, herbs, and more. As this is a cooperative business, Skagit Valley Food Co-op is collectively owned and managed by over 13,000 members. They also give back to the community by donating to local organizations like Skagit Animals in Need and Skagit Valley Farmers Market Coalition. This is a great way to support the Skagit community and discover tasty food! Visit their website at http://www.skagitfoodcoop.com/ to find out more.
Everett Community College faculty members Spring Petta (linguistics and natural science), Jeff Fennell (environmental science and biology) and Laura Wild (nutritional science) presented at this year’s AASHE (The Association for the Advancement of Higher Learning) conference. AASHE is dedicated to advancing sustainability in higher education. This video contains their great presentation about social justice in learning outcomes. Spring Petta also introduces how our area is located in one of the most severely threatened indigenous language hotspots in the world (the Northwest Pacific Plateau) and how this impacts the community and cultural fabric of Washington State.
The SEA (students for environmental action) club will be holding another letter writing workshop on Friday October 9th at 3pm. During this workshop letters will be written to nonregistered voters in swing states mobilizing people to vote and support environmental causes.
To get letters to write visit Sierra Club(https://act.sierraclub.org/actions/National?actionId=AR0265436) or Vote Forward (https://votefwd.org ) at least 24 hours before the event.
The zoom meeting link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88355732710, the meeting ID is 888 5573 2710, and the passcode is 017315.
Dr. Jeffery Jensen is an ichthyologist (ichthyology is the study of fish) from University of Washington Bothell and he needs volunteer salmon watchers to help view and work with salmon on streams that flow into the Sammamish River such as Bear, Lyon, Swamp, and North Creek. Dr. Jensen is studying kokanee salmon (a landlocked variation of sockeye salmon) as well as other types of salmon and fish.
If you would like to take part; visit Dr. Jensen’s blog to find all the information needed to sign up: https://jsjensenblog.wordpress.com/north-lake-washington-salmon-sightings/.
And if you ever happen to see a salmon in a local stream, fill out this survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScJAJAhW6MqHYtAveCXJAGAwJCwjMM9cZ7vUC7MCd7mNqVP-w/viewform
On October 3rd at 4pm, the Students for Environmental Action (SEA) and Community Kitchen club will hold a joint climate and voting activism letter writing event.
Sign up at either Sierra Club or Vote Forward to get letters to write: https://act.sierraclub.org/actions/National?actionId=AR0265436, https://votefwd.org/. To recieve the letters on time sign up at least 24 hours before the event.
To join the event use this zoom link https://us02web.zoom.us/s/88355732710. The passcode is 017315.
This nonprofit organization’s mission is to purchase surplus food from Northwest farmers (such as Terra Gold Farms who grow potatoes) and distribute it to people in need. These rescued crops that otherwise would’ve gone to waste are helping feed people as well as helping farmers. East West Food Rescue serves over 230 food banks, community kitchens, senior centers, native tribes, school food programs, and many other helping organizations. Visit their website at https://eastwestfoodrescue.org/ to learn more about East West Food Rescue and discover opportunities to help out by becoming a volunteer.
